This past Sunday, the weather here in North Carolina was really lovely. It got up to about 70˚ and was sunny. The sunshine motivated me to do a lot of cleaning and running errands - anything that involved being outside. I'm glad I also got a chance to photograph this new recipe outdoors as well. The weather report for this week goes back to normal for NC. (Friday has a predicted high of 35˚? What?) I am almost glad that this weather isn't lasting for too long, because I know that my spring fever would have kicked in pretty soon if this nice weather lasted any longer.

These roasted chickpeas are the perfect weekend snack. Having a bowl of them sitting in the kitchen is like having roasted peanuts: you can walk by, grab a handful, and enjoy a quick burst of salty/spicy/savory goodness.

These chickpeas can also be reused as add-ins to salads or grits for an extra burst of spice and protein. Let me know how you end up using yours.

Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas, drained

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of paprika or cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

After draining the chickpeas, rinse them out with water. Blot them try with a towel.

Pour the chickpeas into a bowl. Stir in the oil and lemon juice, and mix in the spices.

Spread the chickpeas out onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 400˚F for 20-35 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want them to be. Take the baking sheet out of the oven every 10 minutes or so to stir the chickpeas around with a spatula.